Means for stretching cloth



9 M. WEIDENFELD 2,398,03

MEANS FOR S'IIRETGHING CLOTH Filed April 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

Aprifi 1946. M. WEIDENFELD 2,398,63

MEANSFOR STRETCHING CLOTH Filed April 7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

' IN V EN TOR.

Mom: We {0/4 Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FORSTRETCHING CLOTH Morris Weidenfeld, Mattapan, Mass.

Application April 7, 1945, Serial No. 587,147

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to a machine used in stretching cloth andmore particularly for the stretching of cloth which has been sewed inpleats or tucks. has generally been done by hand except, perhaps, in thetreatment of fabrics in or after their manufacture wherein a tenteringmachine or cloth stretching and finishing machin has been used.

The present invention applies more particularly to the stretching offabrics which have been machine tucked in parallel lines longitudinallyof the cloth. In the present invention the cloth, after it has beenthreaded through the machine, will be automatically fed and stretched ina continuous process as the cloth is passed over the steam table androlled on a cylinder or spindle as a finished product.

In the present invention a smooth cord comparatively heavier than thecloth itself is sewed along the side edges of the cloth and serves toretain the cloth in the holding jaws as the cloth is drawn over thesteam table. In most tentering frames the tenter moves with the clothbut in the present case the cloth moves while the holding jaw remainsstationary. The cloth, therefore, is not clamped or pinned but simplyheld in its stretched position by means of the smooth cord which ofierslittle friction as the cloth is drawn over the stretching table. Thestretching table may be of any of the usual constructions of steam tablein which heat or live steam with a certain amount of moisture, ifdesired, is made to come in contact with the cloth through a suitabletable cover as the cloth is drawn over the steam table.

Without further describing the merits and advantages in the presentinvention, the invention will be described in connection with theembodiment disclosed in the drawings in which Figure 1 shows a plan viewof the invention with an intermediate portion of the table broken away.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the device shown in Figure 1 asviewed from the left.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged detail of part of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a modification of the detail shown in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 shows a side view of the detail shown in Figure 4 as viewedfrom the right of that figure.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, I is a steam table ofthe usual type to which steam may be fed in any desired fashion. The

For the most part this work of clamping screws table I in the presentinvention is provided at either end with pairs of extending brackets 2and 3 which may be attached to the table in any suit able fashion.Supported by the brackets 2 and 3 are transversely extending rails orbars 4 and 5 which may be keyed at the ends by keys 8 and I so that therails or bars 4 and 5 are maintained in a fixed position. Any othermeans may be used to accomplish this result as, for instance, the rails4 and 5 may be made square and may fit in square holes in the brackets 2and 3. These rails 4 and 5 support the guide channels 8 and 9 by meansof the supporting brackets I0 (Figure 3) which have collars IIfittingover the rails or bars 4 and 5 to which they are clamped by meansI2 threaded through the clamping collars II so that the support may betightened in position on the rails. The guides 8 and 9, therefore, maybe adjusted laterally of the table I to accommodate the proper width ofcloth which is to be stretched.

As indicated in Figure 3, the channel guide 8 is shaped in the form of aletter O with a slot I4 on the inner side, facing the table to receivethe cloth I5. This slot runs the whole length of the guides 8 and 9which is open at its endsso that the cloth might continue to feed intoandout of the guides. The cloth I5 is provided at the side edges withtapes or cords I6 which may be round in cross sectionand which arelarger than the opening I4 so as to prevent the cords from being pulledthrough the opening. These cords are stitched to the cloth before thecloth is fed to the machine and may be cut from the cloth after thestretching has been accomplished, either prior to the winding of thecloth on the roll or after it has been rolled up.

It will also be noted, as viewed in Figure 1, that the front ends of theguides I1 and I8 gradually come closer together, thus permitting thecloth to be fed to the machine in unstretched state.

As further indicated in Figure 1, the machine is provided with two sideextending arms I9 and 20 carrying bearings 2| and '22 in which thewinding roll 23 is journalled. This winding roll may be provided withclamping fingers 24, 24, etc., to hold the cloth initially as it isbeing drawn over the machine' The roll 23 may be driven through theshaft 25 by the pulley 26 and belt 27 powered by means of the motor 28which may be controlled from a foot pedal 29 at the front of themachine.

In the operation of the device the guide channels 8 and 9 are adjustedfor the proper width to which the cloth is to be stretched and clampedin place by means of the clamping screw 12 (Fi ure 3). The cloth mayhave been initially threaded through the guides 8 and 9 after the edgecords I6 have been attached before the guide channels were clamped inposition. The cloth is then attached to the roller 23 and the operatoris then ready to operate the foot pedal for turning the roll and drawingthe cloth over the table.

The foot pedal 23 may have a resistance control for varying the motorspeed in the manner commonly used in sewing machines.

In the modified details shown in Figures 4 and 5, a channel guide 30 isshown in which the opening 3| may be adjustable by means of a frontadjustable plate 32 which is supported by a downwardly extending flange33 of the guide channel to which the plate is attached by means ofscrews 34, 34 passing through slots 35, 35 in the plate 32. By thismeans the plate 32 may be raised or lowered to adjust the width of theopening 3| so that the channels can handle any cloth which may bedesired.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a steam table, means for steaming and stretchingpleated cloth and the like, including a pair of guide channels throughwhich the cloth to 'be stretched is passed, and means for adjustablysupporting said guid channels laterally of the table, said guidechannels being shaped and positioned with their forward ends, throughwhich the cloth first passes, closer together than the rear end andbeing provided with a slot extending along the channel for the purposeof receiving the cloth with a cord at the edge thereof thicker than thecloth whereby the cord Will retain the cloth in the slot.

2. In combination with a steam table, means for steaming and stretchingpleated cloth and the like, including a pair of guide channels throughwhich the cloth to be stretched is passed, and means for adjustablysupporting said guide channels laterally of the table, said guidechannels having a slot therein running along its whole length and widerthan the thickness of the cloth to be stretched, the cloth being fedtherethrough having cords along the side edges thereof substantiallythicker than the width of the slot whereby the cloth will be retained atits edges as it is fed through the channel, said guide channels beingshaped and positioned with their forward ends through which the clothpasses being closer together than the rear ends.

3. In combination with a steam table, means for steaming and stretchingpleated cloth and the like, including a pair of guide channels throughwhich the cloth to be stretched is passed, and means for adjustablysupporting said guide channels laterally of the table includingsupporting rails attached to either side of the table, pairs of'clamping brackets, one pair attached to each guide channel, slidablypositioned and clamped to said supporting rails.

4. In combination with a steam table, means for steaming and stretchingpleated cloth and the like, including a pair of guide channels throughwhich the cloth to be stretched is passed, and means for adjustablysupporting said guide channels laterally of the table, said guidechannel hav-- ing a slot, means for adjusting the Width of the slot,said slot running along the whole length of the channel and beingadjusted in width to permit the cloth being stretched to pass through,the cloth being fed therethrough having cords along the side edgesthereof substantially thicker than the width of the slot whereby thecloth will be retained at its edges as it is fed through the channel,said guide channels being shaped and positioned with their forward endsthrough which the cloth passes being closer together than the rear ends.

5. In combination with a steam table, means for steaming and stretchingpleated cloth and the like, including a pair of guide channels throughwhich the cloth to be stretched is passed, a spindle mounted and spacedfrom one end of the table and adapted to receive the cloth as it comesfrom the table, and means for driving the spindle to draw the cloththrough the guides, said guides being closer together where the clothfirst enters and gradually widening apart where the cloth is over thetable.

6. In combination with a steam table, means for steaming and stretchingpleated cloth and the like, including a pair of guide channels throughwhich the cloth to be stretched is passed, a spindle mounted and spacedfrom one end of the table, said spindle having means for holding thecloth as it comes from the table, and means for driving the spindle todraw the cloth through the guides, said guides being closer togetherwhere the cloth first enters and gradually widening apart where thecloth is over the table.

MORRIS WEIDENFELD.

